Amalgamator



' (N0 MOdGL) v 2 Sheets-Sheet l1.-A

'IL J. ROWB, R. HOLMES. 8v E.- W. WELLS..

. AMALGAM'ATOR. No. 354,809.

Patented Deo; 21, 1886A.

ill. 45 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. J. ROWE, R. HOLMES & E'. W. WELLS.

AMALG'AMATOR.

Patented 1390.21

MZ'ITHEEEEE- NTTED STATES PATENT EETCE.

ENooH J. RowE, ROBERT HOLMES, AND ERAsrUs w; WELLS, oE EUREKA,

. CALIFORNIA.

,AMALGAMATOR SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,809, dated December 21, 1886.

` Application tiled August 10, 1885. SerialNo. 174,014. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, ENoorr J BowE, RoB- ERT HOLMES, and ERAsTUs W. WELLs, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Eureka, in the county of Humboldt and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying ro drawings. 4

V- This invention pertainsto improvements in amalgamators for treating refractory ores of various kinds, wherein the ore is subjected to a bath of molten lead, the same (the ore) bei 5 ing passed through the molten lead by means of an endless chain having at intervals'carrying-plates upon whichthe ore is placed or carried, whereby are thrown off or rejected the rebellious or foreign matters-as, for inst-ance, 2o autimony, arsenic, zinc, 85e.

To the said ends the invention therefore consists of the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation with the front Nwall removed, exposing the internal arrangement thereof in part. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same taken through it from front to back. 3o Fig." 3 is another front view. Fig. 4 is a side view of our improved smelting-furnace. Fig. 5 is a plan or top view thereof; and Fig. 6 is a plan view ofthe bottom of the receptacle.

In carrying out our invention we' employ, 3 5 preferably, an upright quadrangular receptacle or inclosure, A, having in one (the rear) side the combustion-chamber B, partitioned off from a second chamber, B, in the front side of the receptacle and extending from bot- 40 tom to top thereof. The bottom of this chamber is inclined from the rear its entire width downward and forward a portion of the length thereof, and made V shape in cross-section the rest of its length, with the tapering portion or vertex having a coincident inclination with the rear part. Over this bottom is arranged a grate, a, with legs, one at each corner, resting upon horizontal marginal surfaces of bottom. Upon the top of the inclosure or recep- 5o tacle A, in alignment with the chamber B, is

secured the chimney b. Two openings, c a2, supplied with suitable doors, are made in the front side of the receptacle,one communicating with the combustion-chamber low down, near the bottom, and the other with the same chamber farther up, about midway thereof,

ThroughV the partition between the two chambers B B', at the bottom, are two openings, e, one being arranged at each side and closed by removable slides or doors e., having 6o manipulating projections e2. rhese openings e permit the passage of the heat from the chamber B to the chamber B to heat the latter, while by closing said openings, by their slides e', the heat can be cut off from the cham- 65 ber B.

Within the chamber B is arranged a U- shaped receptacle or holder, C, for containing molten lead to about the depth indicated by the dotted line X X, Fig. l, the said recep- 7o tacle or holder being secured to the dividing partition between the two chambers B B', with the bend or curved connecting portionrof the legs disposed downward near the bottom of the chamber B. The said curved portion or bend of the` receptacle or .holder C may be slightly extended, about centrally, at its lower side into a drain-trough, as atb', which is provided with adischarge spout or tube, b2, to permit the emptying of the receptacle or 8o holder C of the molten lead, when desired; also in this bend or curved portion of the receptacle C, in its front side, is an opening,'b3, for the removal of the ore after treatment, by which all rebellious matter-such as autimony, arsenic, zinc, &c.-is burned or thrown off from the ore undergoing treatment. This opening is closed from theinside by a plate or door, b4, held in position by a screw, b5, fixed thereto and passing througha yokeor bridge, be, with 9o its ends bearing and held against the outside of the receptacle C by a nut, bl, screwed upon said screw and'against said yoke or bridge, which permits, by loosening the nut and lifting upon the screw, the elevating or opening of the door or plate b4, the latter being retained in its elevated or open position by screwing up the nut until the plate and yoke yare clamped against the receptacle.

Before removing the treated or refined ore 10o from the receptacle or holder C through the opening b3, as above described, the molten lead or bath is drawn off through the spout or tube b2, after which the ore can be removed, as stated.

The upper ends of the legs of the receptacle C extend to within a short distance of the upper end of the chamber B', while one end is flared upwardly to facilitate the entrance of the ore, which is passed thereinto through a hopper, C', set into the top of the receptacle A, its tubular portion projecting belowr ,the said top a short distance into the chamber B', in ialignment with said flared leg of receptacle.

D is anendless chainbelt, with every other link provided with a disk or plate, D', which serve to hold or carry the ore as it is passed into the receptacle C by said chain being arranged to move within and through the said receptacle, its relatively upper portion pass ing over a sprocket-wheel, E. The wheel E is lxed to and carried by a shaft, d2, with the end to which the wheel is fixed extending into the chamber B. 'Ihe projections of the wheel E are deected from opposite edges thereof at short intervals apart throughout the periphery, forming substantially a V-shaped groove around the periphery for the reception of the belt D. The shaft d is supported in boxes d3, fastened upon brackets or legs secured upon a frame, F, with one end hinged upon one side bar of a frame, G, fastened by its angular inner longitudinal. plate or bar, G', and plate- A connected to the outer longitudinal bar or plate of the frame G. 'Ihe opposite free end ofthe frame F rests upon and is adjustably connected by screw-bolts e, or other suitable means, tothe coincident end bar of the frame G. The shaft-supporting frame F is thus adapted by screwing up the screws e to be so adjusted as to tighten the chain D or by unscrewing the screws e the chain may be looscned, as may be desired. Upon the outer end of the shaft d2 is a pulley, which in practice is driven by a belt connecting with any suitable motor, whereby the endless chain D, with the disks or plates D', is put in motion, carrying or passing the ore through the molten leadin the receptacle C, thus treating or refining the same by reason of the antimony, arsenic, zinc, or other rebellious or foreign matter being thrown off or rejected therefrom.

AIn the front side of the receptacle Aare two openings, d d', closed by suitable doors, g g, the larger one being arranged opposite the discharge tube or spout b2, while the upper smaller one is arranged in alignment with an opening, h, in the partition between the chambers B B', the heat and gases evolved from the fire in the combustion chamber passing through said opening h and a larger opening immediately above the same into the chamber containing the U-shaped receptacle or holder.

.the partition between the combustion-chamber and the chamber containing the moltenlead receptacle, the heat can be perfectly regulated, to insure the successful carrying out of the smelting process.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by means of the fire contained in the combustion-chamber the bath of molten lead contained in the U-shaped receptacle or holder will be kept at a proper temperature by the heat radiated and the gases evolved from the fire in said combustion-chamber, and pass off through openings in the partition-wall and mingle with the products of combustion.

A sufficient` quantity of refractory ore is passed through the hopper in the top of the receptacle and thence into the longer flared leg of the receptacle or holder, and the sprocketwheel being in motion by reason of the revolution of its shaft and pulley, (motion being derived through a belt passed over said pulley and connecting with asuitable motor,) the ore will, through means of the endless chainbelt, be subjected to the bath until all rebellious or foreign matters are removed therefrom, at which time the molten lead orbathis drawn off through the spout or tube b2, after which the treated ore is removed through the opening b3 in the lower curved end of the recepv tacle C, as before stated.

The above-described operation may be repeated as often as may be desired, the molten lead or bath being`placed to about the depth indicated in the U-shaped receptacle or holder, and after the ore has received suicient treatment the same is withdrawn from said receptacle, as is also the treated ore, as before stated. Y

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is"- 1. In an amalgamator, the combustionchamber having its bottom inclined downward and forward at the rear end its entire widtha short distance and V-shaped in cross-section the rest of its length, and coincidently in'A clined at the vertex with the rear part, substantially as shown and described.

` 2. In an amalgamator, the receptacle having the combustionchamber and an addi- IOO site end, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an amalgamator, the combination, with the containing-receptacle, ofthe U -shaped molten-lead receptacle having the ore-removing opening closed from the inside by a plate or door having a fixed screw passing through a yoke or bridge and provided with a tightening-nut, said yoke or bridge bearing against the outside of the molten-lead receptacle, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. An amalgamator comprising the containing-receptacle subdivided into two compartments, with their partition provided with slide-covered openings at the bottom, one oompartment or chamber serving as a combustion-chamber, the U-shaped molten-lead receptacle or bath contained in one of the said compartments, and the sprocket-wheel and its shaft and pulley, one side wall and the front wall of said containingreceptacle having upper and lower doorcoveredopenings, one opening in the front wall being arranged in alignment with an opening in the aforesaid partition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an amalgamator, the combination, with the sprocket-wheel, its shaft and pulley, and the endless chain or belt, of the shaft-supporting frame hinged at one end to a bracket secured to the receptacle and provided with adjusting screw-bolts at the opposite end, substantially as shown, and for the purpose stated.

In testimonywhereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ENOCH J. ROWE. ROBERT HOLMES. ERASTUS W. WELLS. Witnesses:

J. K. DoLLrsoN, WILLARD WELLS. 

